Kitakami in Iwate Prefecture has long been said to be a town of oni — the demons of Japanese folklore that appear in numerous legends passed down over the centuries. It is also home to Oni Kenbai, a dynamic dance featuring masked performers, whose roots stretch back 1,300 years and which is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Saskia Thoelen is a university lecturer from Belgium. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, she explores the ancient "dance of the demons" and meets the people for whom this tradition remains very much alive. She discovers the lush nature and local foods of Kitakami, as the town marks the midsummer Obon observances with the thunderous rhythms of Oni Kenbai.

Kitakami: Land of the Demon Dance

Bill Sullivan

Furumachi: Niigata's Hidden World of Geigi

Arimatsu: Nagoya District Shaped by Shibori

The San'in Kaigan Geopark Trail is a 230-kilometer-long course connecting the Sea of Japan coastline along Tottori, Hyogo, and Kyoto prefectures. It is a designated UNESCO Global Geopark. On the second half of his journey, Canadian actor Kyle Card explores the dynamic landscapes shaped by the separation of the Japanese archipelago from the Asian continent, as well as the culture and way of life that developed in the region.

Hiking the San'in Coast: Hyogo-Kyoto

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after start of the Meiji Era. "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is her highly praised account of her journey deep into Japan's hinterland. After traveling from Yokohama all the way up to Hokkaido, Bird then made her way to Kansai, where she visited Kyoto, Nara and Mie Prefectures. As a student, Rachael Aoki studied in Kyoto at a university that Isabella visited during her stay. In this episode, Rachael retraces Bird's steps from the Nara deer park to the Ise Jingu Shrine, with a stop at Hasedera Temple en route.

With Isabella Bird - Part 7: On the Road to Ise

Two years ago, on New Year's Day of 2024, a massive earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, leaving over 200 dead and wrecking thousands of homes and other buildings. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Kyle Card visits two of the worst-hit areas, to meet the people of Noto and see how they are starting to bounce back from tragedy and devastation. In Wajima, he meets people from the city's iconic Morning Market, who are working vigorously at a temporary location. And he meets with artisans who are keeping alive the traditions of Wajima-nuri lacquerware. He also visits a Buddhist temple, Soji-ji Soin, which suffered significant damage, and sees how the priests are restoring this essential pillar of the community. He then travels to Suzu City on the far tip of the peninsula, where he is astonished by the changes he finds to the natural landscape.

Noto: Lighting a Torch for the Future

Akan, in eastern Hokkaido, is renowned for its breathtaking winter landscape with majestic volcanic mountains and ice-blanketed lake. The area is home to an indigenous Ainu community, which has long protected its distinctive traditions and culture. Kit Nagamura gets to know some local Ainu people and discovers their deep ties to the natural world.

Akan: The Sacred Winter World of the Ainu

Through the generations, Hokkaido has been home to people from diverse backgrounds, who have developed their livelihoods and established distinctive cultures in each area. Confronting the harsh natural environment of this vast northern island, the inhabitants have poured their feelings — joy, anxiety, prayers and wishes — into songs that are cherished to the present day. Those songs continue to bring local communities together through shared memories and values. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, British photographer Alfie Goodrich visits areas of Hokkaido that are home to the following songs: Esashi Oiwake, Soran Bushi, Tokachi Uma-uta, Hokkai Bon-uta and the Upopo songs of the Ainu people. Through this soundscape so deeply rooted in each community, he explores Hokkaido's history, culture and local traditions.

Hokkaido: Voices from the Northern Land

Dean Newcombe discovers Kushimoto, the southernmost town on Japan's main island. Thanks to the warm Kuroshio Current that flows northward in the Pacific, the town is blessed with a warm climate and a bountiful sea that supports a diverse ecosystem. It is home to a significant number of seafood species and a thriving fishing industry. He checks out bluefin tuna aquaculture and a boat festival, gets close to sea turtles and kayaks out to sea to take in stunning rock formations.

Kushimoto: Life at the Water's Edge

Scenic northern Yatsugatake in Nagano Prefecture is an outdoor lover's paradise just two hours from Tokyo. It's defined by a series of peaks rising above 2,000 meters. Novice mountaineers can enjoy snow climbing safely if they travel with a guide and proper equipment. This time Michael Keida, who is new to mountaineering, traverses the area on cross-country skis, snowshoes and with crampons to fully explore the snowy mountains.

Northern Yatsugatake: Adventures in Snow Hiking

Kokuto is Okinawa's traditional form of sugar, which is made simply by boiling down sugarcane juice, a method first introduced from China about 400 years ago. Despite Okinawa's turbulent history, the skills have been passed down through the generations, and artisan kokuto continues to play an essential role in the life and culture of the prefecture. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Michael Keida visits the island of Ie-jima, as well as Okinawa's main island, to explore the enduring appeal of this home-grown source of sweetness and the deep roots of Kokuto culture.

Kokuto Okinawa Island Sweetness

Architect James Lambiasi discovers the living culture of mingei folk craft in Toyama, north-central Japan. James visits a 92-year woodturning artisan in the town of Shogawa, a nearby ironware workshop, and a museum displaying traditional medicine peddlers' tools. He stays in a restored farmhouse and enjoys its displays of work by prominent mingei figures, as well as contemporary pieces. All in all, he sees how mingei still permeates the spirit of local communities.

Toyama MINGEI: Beauty in the Everyday

Tsuruoka lies on the Sea of Japan coast of Yamagata Prefecture. In 2014, it was named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the first of its kind in the country. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, American chef David Wells visits the Tsuruoka area to observe how the local people are keeping alive their food culture, protecting their heirloom crops and continuing traditional practices — such as a 400-year-old slash-and-burn farming method that creates a sustainable cycle linking the mountain and forests with the rivers and sea. David also climbs a peak in the sacred Dewa Sanzan area, where he is served dishes prepared from the wild plants that grow on the slopes. And he is introduced to the spirit of uketamau — reverence for nature, gratitude for its bounty, and acceptance of things as they are.

Tsuruoka: Gastronomy Rooted in Tradition

Komatsu, a castle town just west of Kanazawa, was forged by stone and time. Born from ancient underwater volcanoes, its stunning gorges and surreal, massive quarries create a landscape like no other. This Japan Heritage site boasts traditional stone architecture and other masterful crafts like porcelain—legacies rooted in the earth. Discover the soul of Komatsu with American actor Charles Glover.

Komatsu: Stone Stories

Nestled in an upland area of Gero City (Gifu Prefecture), the village of Maze is renowned for its breathtaking mountain views, especially in the Nishimura district. Home to around 130 people, this community is also the venue for a unique form of green tourism known as the "Satoyama Museum." Cheryl Sakurai visits Maze to view its remarkable beauty and to meet the residents. She also tries her hand at angling, enjoys the local cuisine, takes in a traditional festival and immerses herself in the simple charm and warm hospitality of this rural community.

Maze: A Museum Without Walls

Tokunoshima is a small, semi-tropical island located southwest of Kyushu. Home to many rare species of flora and fauna, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also famous for its association with sumo wrestling, having produced many professional sumo wrestlers. Not only that, it has a culture of bull sumo, where massive bovines go head-to-head. The whole island gets swept up in the excitement of rousing, non-blood tournaments, which take place three times a year. American actor BT explores this and more.

Tokunoshima: Bull Sumo on Subtropical Island

The Choshi River is just 17 kilometers long but it's become known throughout Japan as the "Miracle River." Thanks to the crystal-clear quality of its water, it draws visitors to the town of Kihoku, in the south of Mie Prefecture, Central Japan. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, American DJ George Cockle explores Kihoku's watery wonderworld, enjoying a range of water-related activities. He canoes on the Choshi River, kayaks to islands along the scenic coast of Kii no Matsushima and explores the atmospheric back streets of Uomachi, a tranquil, old-fashioned fishing port.

Kihoku: A Wonderful Waterside World

Since the earliest times, the people living on the coast of The Seto Inland Sea have developed methods for catching the abundant seafood in those waters, some of which are still practiced today. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Michael Keida visits Okayama Prefecture to discover those traditions, while exploring the abundant biodiversity and enjoying the seafood that is fundamental to Japanese food culture.

Okayama: Traditions of the Seto Inland Sea

Nagoya, a historic strategic crossroads connecting eastern and western Japan, developed a distinctive food identity of its own. From hatcho miso and hitsumabushi to kishimen noodles and the city's unique morning service tradition, its signature flavors have been shaped by climate, a merchant culture, as well as the manufacturing and transportation that underpinned the city's postwar recovery. By visiting Atsuta Jingu Shrine, the Nakagawa Canal, and a historic miso brewery, this journey uncovers the history and wisdom behind Nagoya meshi, offering a deeper appreciation of the region's unique culinary heritage.

Aichi, Nagoya: Savoring its One-of-a-Kind Food Culture

Japan's shibori (tie-dye) is renowned for the extraordinary craftsmanship of its tying artisans. The place that transformed shibori into a thriving tradition is Arimatsu, now a district of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. Four hundred years ago, Arimatsu was a small settlement built on barren land along the historic Tokaido Highway. It was there that Takeda Shokuro and his fellow pioneering settlers developed shibori into the town's defining industry. Nilina Boban, who is from India, explores the charming old town and discovers the secret behind shibori's enduring legacy.

Niigata City, facing the Sea of Japan, prospered as a port of call for the Kitamaebune northern-bound ships in the Edo period. A crossroads of people, objects and cultures, it eventually gave birth to a distinctive entertainment district in Furumachi called kagai. Sheila Cliffe is invited into this hidden world of refined ryotei restaurants, as well as architecture, and highly skilled geigi performers in dazzling kimono. She meets people working to preserve this living heritage and also learns about the port town's history by visiting various landmarks.

Journeys in Japan provides an eye-opening look at the many unique places to visit in Japan. English-speaking visitors travel the length of the country, exploring the culture, meeting the local people, visiting historic sites and offering travel hints rarely found in guidebooks.

Kitakami: Land of the Demon Dance

Seasons17

Season 17 Episodes19

Cast1

Discussion

Episode Summary